Hoylake’s new lifeboat station will be officially opened on Saturday

Oct 29 2008 by Sue McCann, Heswall News

lifeboat

HOYLAKE’S new lifeboat station will be officially opened on Saturday.

Around 350 RNLI supporters and local dignitaries will join Hoylake lifeboat crew for the opening ceremony - to be performed by West Wirral MP Stephen Hesford - and service of dedication of their new lifeboat station, which has been part-funded by a £2m fundraising appeal.

Captain Robin Woodall, chairman of Hoylake and West Kirby Lifeboat station management group, will chair the ceremony and the service of dedication will be conducted by the Bishop of Birkenhead, the Rt Rev Keith Sinclair.

Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat operations manager John Curry said: “We are delighted to have this magnificent new lifeboat station which is situated close to the Port of Liverpool and the major marine traffic which passes through the port’s channels and approaches.

“The existing station was not even from the last century, so it is splendid to have both the room and modern facilities to take the Hoylake lifeboat station, with its proud history, into the future.”

The lifeboat crew will move into their new home in the next few weeks and in the meantime the old lifeboat station will remain operational.

Unlike the old building, the new lifeboat station is large enough to enable the lifeboat and launching tractor to be housed together, hooked-up and ready for immediate launch, saving precious time in a rescue.

It also has two slipways so the lifeboat can be launched quickly regardless of tides. Other facilities include a training room, mechanics workshop, crew room, changing room with drying area and showers.

The RNLI Hoylake Appeal has raised £900,000 since launching just over a year ago and is now focussing on raising funds for a new lifeboat.

Hoylake’s current Mersey class lifeboat Lady of Hilbre is nearing the end of its operational life and will need to be replaced by a new generation of RNLI carriage launched lifeboat which is currently under development.

This new class of lifeboat, called FCB2 (Fast Carriage Boat 2), will be faster and built to tackle the challenges of 21st century lifesaving.